In recent years, the opening and closing manner of a storage unit of a kitchen cabinet has been shifting from the door type to the drawer type in order to improve the usability. Further, a storage unit is also provided below a heating cooker such as an induction heating cooker, which is conventionally installed in a kitchen cabinet. Here, as to such a storage unit also, the drawer type storage unit is becoming popular. There is demand for a kitchen cabinet securing a further greater storage capacity. In order to secure a greater capacity of the storage unit below the heating cooker, development of a thin heating cooker that does not project toward the storage unit is desired.
An exemplary conventional heating cooker is disclosed in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-247186). FIG. 6 is a plan view of a conventional heating cooker. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the heating cooker shown in FIG. 6. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a light emitting indicator unit included in the heating cooker shown in FIG. 6. FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the state in which the heating cooker shown in FIG. 6 is installed in a kitchen cabinet.
As shown in FIGS. 7 and 9, the conventional heating cooker includes a box-like body 41 having an opening at its top portion, and a flat plate-like top board 42 that is disposed to close the opening of the body 41, on which a heating target cooking vessel (not shown) such as a pot is placed.
As shown in FIG. 7, one or more heating units 43 are disposed inside the body 41. Each of the heating units 43 is structured with, for example, a substantially circular induction heating coil that heats the heating target cooking vessel via the top board 42. Below each heating unit 43, a control device 44 that controls the output of the heating unit 43 is provided. Further, beside each heating unit 43, a light emitting indicator unit 45 is provided. Each light emitting indicator unit 45 indicates the position at which the heating target cooking vessel is to be placed or indicates that the heating unit 43 is in the heating state, when the heating target cooking vessel is heated by the heating unit 43.
As shown in FIG. 8, each of the light emitting indicator units 45 includes a box-like body 46 having a light blocking characteristic, and a light emission source 47 disposed on the inner face of the bottom wall of the box-like body 46. The light emission source 47 is structured with a point light source such as a lead type bullet LED. The box-like body 46 is disposed such that its top portion faces the top board 42. An opening 48 is provided at the top portion of the box-like body 46, and the opening 48 is covered by an indicator sheet 49. The indicator sheet 49 is structured with a translucent material so that it is illuminated by the light emitted from the light emission source 47 and passed through the opening 48, and shines in its entirety. The light emission source 47 and the indicator sheet 49 are disposed to have a space therebetween such that uneven shining of the indicator sheet 49 is reduced.    Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-247186